Bryant scores 42 as LA beats Cavs

Associated Press

LOS ANGELES

Even Kobe Bryant has to acknowledge he’s on his most impressive scoring tear in a half-decade, decimating opponents’ defenses with the flair and determination of the Los Angeles Lakers superstar’s best seasons.

And he’s got a little more bad news for the Cleveland Cavaliers and every other opponent in his way.

That severely injured wrist on his shooting hand? It’s starting to heal.

Bryant scored 42 points in his third straight 40-point performance, and the Lakers blew a big early lead before hanging on for their fifth straight victory, 97-92 over Cleveland on Friday night.

Bryant managed just seven points in the fourth quarter, but two big jumpers down the stretch gave him three straight 40-point games for the first time since March 2007, when he had five straight. With just three of his teammates managing more than one field goal, the 13-time All-Star guard did most of the Lakers’ heavy lifting despite that torn ligament in his right wrist — an injury that would require most players to shut it down for a stretch.

Nobody is shutting down Kobe, who has scored at least 30 points in seven of his last eight games.

“The wrist is feeling stronger, feeling more comfortable,” Bryant said. “It’s just motivation. Nobody wants to hear about a bad wrist as being the reason why I had a bad game. Nobody wants to hear excuses.”

Bryant is third in NBA history with 110 40-point games, trailing only Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan.